The SFSC Library joins in the celebration of International Talk Like a Pirate Day on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 8 a.m.-9 p.m., with door prizes, activities, and features a stuffed parrot.

“Last year, Hurricane Irma came and canceled our celebration,” said Lena Phelps, head librarian. “I’ve had everything ready to go in my office for a year, waiting.” Phelps has celebrated the holiday for several years with an assortment of activities and prizes for attendees.

International Talk Like a Pirate Day was started on a whim by John Baur and Mark Summers. The two men discovered that talking like stereotypical pirates during a poorly played game of racquetball made everything more fun. They decided to celebrate the holiday annually on Sept. 19. The holiday gained wider recognition when the Miami Herald’s Dave Barry wrote about it in his column. Baur and Summers had emailed Barry and encouraged him to highlight the holiday that they had created. The column was published in 2002, and Talk Like a Pirate Day has been celebrated internationally ever since.

SFSC Library’s celebration will be held in Building Y, on the SFSC Highlands Campus, Avon Park. Costumes are welcome.

For more information on the SFSC Library’s celebration, contact Claire Miller, SFSC librarian, at millerc@southflorida.edu or 784-7305.